2021: Pride Month Begins Around the World to Support the LGBTQ+ Community! | Diversity Lab Vol.1

Hello!

In this inaugural edition of “Diversity Lab,” we introduce PR and promotional initiatives themed around global inclusion. This issue focuses on “Allyship initiatives around the world”!

Allyship is a term combining “Ally” (a word symbolizing straight individuals who support and understand the LGBTQ+ community) with “ship” (as used in “Friendship”). It is widely used overseas as a symbolic term representing the stance and belief of supporting the LGBTQ+ community.

Pride Month is being held in various locations around the world to expand the circle of Allyship.

In this article, we report on Pride events from around the globe! Preparations for Pride parades and Pride Month are steadily underway worldwide.

In Japan, Pride Week was held online from April 24 to 25, ahead of the rest of the world. “#PrideAtHome2021” featured a total of 16 distinguished guests from various fields participating in online talk shows.

Under the theme “Speak Up. Change the World,” free-flowing conversations were held with viewers. It was an event that prompted reflection on the importance of speaking up and offered hints for the mindset needed in today’s era of increasingly diverse “lifestyles” and “values.”

Image source: Tokyo Rainbow Pride (NPO)

◎From foreign companies to Japanese companies!Pride support items, characters, and services are being created in various forms!

During Pride Month, numerous Allyship initiatives supporting the LGBTQ+ community are launched by various companies. Here are some carefully selected initiatives.

■FamilyMart Co., Ltd.

This one surprised me the most.

Image source: FamilyMart Co., Ltd.

This year, even Famichiki went rainbow.

In conjunction with Tokyo Rainbow Pride, the packaging for their signature product “Famichiki” was released in limited quantities featuring rainbow colors (six colors) representing sexual diversity and LGBTQ+ support. This expressed their commitment to expanding the circle of LGBTQ+ allies and supporters (Allyship) and to creating a society where everyone can thrive as themselves.

Allyship initiatives, which were primarily deployed in Western markets, are now rapidly expanding into the Japanese market as well.

■Indeed Japan K.K.
“Indeed Rainbow Voice Project 2021”

Image source: Indeed Rainbow Voice Project 2021 Special Website

SUNNY SIDE UP also supports the PR for this initiative. Indeed Japan is conducting a project themed “Diverse Ways of Working,” listening to the thoughts, opinions, and concerns of LGBTQ+ individuals regarding work and working styles, and communicating these to society.

“Rainbow Voice” is accepting submissions until the end of June, so why not share your thoughts, concerns, and opinions?

https://jp.indeed.com/%E3%82%B5%E3%83%BC%E3%83%81%E3%81%82%E3%82%8C/rainbow

■Deckers Japan GK
Brand: UGG

The campaign features LGBTQ+ icon Lil Nas X and others in the #UGGPRIDE campaign.

In Japan, a portion of the proceeds from the “PRIDE Collection” will be donated to Tokyo Rainbow Pride (NPO).

Image source: Deckers Japan GK

■IKEA Japan K.K.
IKEA releases rainbow-colored items celebrating diversity.

A portion of sales will be donated to nonprofit organizations, supporting Tokyo Rainbow Pride 2021

Image source: IKEA Japan K.K.

■Nippon Television
A new companion for Sorajiro: new weather character “Nijimo” is born.

This rainbow often seen during Pride season is the six-color rainbow symbolizing LGBTQ+.

It was created with the wish “that people with various personalities can all get along.”

Image source:
Nippon Television “New Companion ‘Nijimo’ Joins Nippon TV Weather Characters! Comments from Minoru Kihara & Sorajiro

It’s a wonderful character combining the weather rainbow with the rainbow symbolizing diversity.

■Hotels.com
Sponsors Tokyo Rainbow Pride 2021 and launches original campaign

Image source: Tokyo Rainbow Pride Online Booth – Hotels.com

A travel site for LGBTQ+ customers has been launched in Japan, introducing popular travel destinations, LGBTQ+-related events, and LGBTQ+-friendly accommodations.

Hotels.com, part of the Expedia Group, has begun working with partner accommodations to introduce more LGBTQ+-friendly properties to customers. Currently, several hundred LGBTQ+-friendly accommodations are registered in Japan.

They have developed a filtering function called “LGBTQ+ Consideration” for searches, established an “LGBTQ+ Friendly Category” in the annual “Customer Choice Awards,” and made it easier to find LGBTQ+-friendly accommodations.

For this campaign, Hotels.com set up an online booth (https://trp2021.online/booth/hotels_com/) on the official Tokyo Rainbow Pride 2021 website, accepting travel-related questions via Zoom. Participants were also entered into a drawing to win a Pride-themed travel kit.

It was a campaign to build excitement while looking forward to when we can travel freely again.

Image source: Hotels.com

These are my selected Allyship initiatives in Japan.

The pink dollar (money spent by LGBTQ+ individuals) is estimated at approximately 917 billion USD (approximately 96 trillion yen) globally and approximately 6 trillion yen in Japan. The initiatives introduced today are expected to drive pink dollar spending.

Initially (though this was just a year ago), only foreign companies released Pride-themed merchandise and goods, as an extension of their Western market deployments. In just one year, full-scale campaigns targeting the Japanese market have emerged.

Whether you’re gay, lesbian, bisexual, or straight, why not participate in Pride, which is gaining momentum worldwide, and express your Allyship?